Network Design Services, LLChttps://www.ndstech.com
Thu, 24 May 2018 16:32:38 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.10Hulu To Soon Offer Episode Downloading and Offline Streaminghttps://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/24/hulu-to-soon-offer-episode-downloading-and-offline-streaming/
https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/24/hulu-to-soon-offer-episode-downloading-and-offline-streaming/#respondThu, 24 May 2018 15:00:00 +0000https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/24/hulu-to-soon-offer-episode-downloading-and-offline-streaming/Hulu recently announced that it would join both Netflix and Amazon Prime in allowing its users to download content to watch offline, but in Hulu's case, it comes with a twist. ...]]>Hulu recently announced that it would join both Netflix and Amazon Prime in allowing its users to download content to watch offline, but in Hulu's case, it comes with a twist.

If you subscribe to the $7.99 a month tier, in addition to downloading the content you want to watch, you'll also be downloading the advertising associated with that content. It's an important distinction because Hulu is structured quite differently from Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Much of Hulu's programming is available on regular network television, and often airs the same day it does on the regular networks. Consequently, ads on Hulu tend to command more of a premium than ads on the other two companies.

Combine that with the fact that Hulu gets most of its revenue from advertising, and you begin to see the appeal and the necessity of such a strategy from Hulu's perspective. Netflix and Amazon prime both have a deep bench of their own, unique programming which acts as a draw. However, Hulu is currently dependent on content licensed from others, which is why ad revenue is of utmost importance to them.

It should be noted that if you subscribe to the company's $11.99/month plan, you can download ad-free content.

Either way, the ability to watch content offline is a big deal. This is especially important to frequent travelers who often find themselves in places with patchy internet service, or no connectivity at all. In those cases, having access to offline content can be a real godsend that can mean the difference between a tolerable trip and a miserable one.

Kudos to Hulu for joining the ranks of Amazon and Netflix, and although there have been a few grumblings about having to endure ads, it really is a small price to pay for the flexibility and convenience.

]]>https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/24/hulu-to-soon-offer-episode-downloading-and-offline-streaming/feed/0Lego and Alexa Team Up For Storytelling Through Devicehttps://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/23/lego-and-alexa-team-up-for-storytelling-through-device/
https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/23/lego-and-alexa-team-up-for-storytelling-through-device/#respondWed, 23 May 2018 15:00:00 +0000https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/23/lego-and-alexa-team-up-for-storytelling-through-device/In terms of toys, what could possibly be better than LEGOS? How about LEGOS, combined with Alexa? That's the latest idea from Amazon, who has paired the unlikely duo in a ...]]>In terms of toys, what could possibly be better than LEGOS? How about LEGOS, combined with Alexa? That's the latest idea from Amazon, who has paired the unlikely duo in a newly announced service called "LEGO Duplo Stories." The new service ("skill," in the parlance of Alexa) will be available on any device that offers Alexa support including Echo Dot and Amazon Echo. It provides a selection of stories with audio prompts that guide children in the construction of something with their LEGO Duplos that ties in with the story being told.

The stories are quite inventive, and change based on the responses of the children listening and interacting. For example, one story involves going on vacation via plane, and based on what the children say they want to pack, the vacation destination will be either to a warm or a cool place, with various build instructions being introduced along the way.

According to the company, the goal is to use these interactive stories as a means of developing color recognition, social, and cognitive skills.

It's an innovative approach, and an excellent use for a technology that is becoming increasingly common in American homes. To access the stories, simply say "Alexa, open LEGO Duplo Stories," then follow the prompts to begin the interactive experience.

Currently, the stories span ten different themes and work in tandem with existing Duplo sets. It should be noted that you can still interact with the skill even if you don't own a set of LEGOS, or don't have all the required pieces (although obviously this will make it even more interactive).

James Poulter, the Head of emerging Platforms and Partnerships at LEGO, had this to say about the new offering: "Voice is such a powerful tool for play as it is one of the most human ways of interacting. Long before we can type, read or control a device, we listen and speak."

]]>https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/23/lego-and-alexa-team-up-for-storytelling-through-device/feed/0Firefox To Start Showing Ads On Tab Pagehttps://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/22/firefox-to-start-showing-ads-on-tab-page/
https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/22/firefox-to-start-showing-ads-on-tab-page/#respondTue, 22 May 2018 15:00:00 +0000https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/22/firefox-to-start-showing-ads-on-tab-page/Before Google released its Chrome browser, Firefox felt pretty good about their arrangement. They got a handsome reward in exchange for making Google.com their default search engine. It was a win-win. ...]]>Before Google released its Chrome browser, Firefox felt pretty good about their arrangement. They got a handsome reward in exchange for making Google.com their default search engine. It was a win-win.

These days though, Firefox's position is a bit more precious. The Google deal is still the main source of the company's income, but they're also in direct competition with Chrome. If Google one day decides to pull the plug on the deal, the company could find itself in dire straits indeed.

That's why they've been casting about for some means of expanding and diversifying their revenue, and the strategy they've hit on is advertising.

Don't worry, you're not about to be buried under a mountain of annoying ads, but with the release of Firefox 60, any time you open a new tab, you'll see a listing of recommended links based on your browsing history.

Anytime the conversation turns to "recommended links" it naturally brings privacy concerns to the fore. After all, the only way Firefox can make sensible recommendations you're likely to be interested in is to track your browsing habits.

Here though, the company has an innovative approach, because all the tracking happens on the client side, so Firefox doesn't actually store anything. Although they will track how many of the "recommended links" you visit, so they can cull the list and remove any of the ones you don't bother with, so they don't keep reappearing.

On balance, it's a good, even-handed approach that should solve the company's revenue problems, while treading lightly on the good graces of their user base.

Like it or not, ads are an unavoidable consequence of the internet as it exists today. At the very least though, Firefox deserves credit for not making excessive use of them, and for respecting the privacy of its users by coming up with a non-intrusive method of deciding what links to display.

]]>https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/22/firefox-to-start-showing-ads-on-tab-page/feed/0Having Chrome Issues Since The Latest Windows 10 Update?https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/21/having-chrome-issues-since-the-latest-windows-10-update/
https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/21/having-chrome-issues-since-the-latest-windows-10-update/#respondMon, 21 May 2018 15:00:00 +0000https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/21/having-chrome-issues-since-the-latest-windows-10-update/Microsoft has been having some "issues" of late. It's April Windows 10 rollout had to be delayed on account of some mysterious BSOD ("Blue Screen of Death") issues. This month's rollout ...]]>Microsoft has been having some "issues" of late. It's April Windows 10 rollout had to be delayed on account of some mysterious BSOD ("Blue Screen of Death") issues. This month's rollout is plagued by similar problems, trading the BSOD issues for problems with both "Hey Cortana" and Google's Chrome browser.

The problem is that when you try to navigate the web using Chrome with the latest Windows 10 update, the entire system will inexplicably hang. The company is hoping to have a fix ready for release in time for the next "Patch Tuesday" on May 8, but in the meantime, offered the following suggestions to users who are impacted by this issue:

If you're on a laptop, sometimes (but not always) opening and closing the lid will revive the system.

Failing that, or if you're not on a laptop, try using the keyboard combination: Win + Ctrl + Shift + B. This activates the "wake screen" sequence.

If you're on a tablet, press the volume up and volume down buttons at the same time, three times within two seconds. If you hear a short beep, then you know Windows is responsive, and it will attempt to refresh the screen.

If none of the above works for you, then your only other option is to simply reboot the system, which is beyond annoying. Fortunately, however, it's only temporary. The company is currently working on a fix (although whether it's ready by Patch Tuesday remains to be seen).

While this is by no means the kiss of death, it is troubling that the last two updates have had major issues. Unless the issue is identified and remedied, the company could be facing larger and more pervasive problems in the months ahead.

]]>https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/21/having-chrome-issues-since-the-latest-windows-10-update/feed/0Facebook Is Adding New Features, Including Dating https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/19/facebook-is-adding-new-features-including-dating/
https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/19/facebook-is-adding-new-features-including-dating/#respondSat, 19 May 2018 15:00:00 +0000https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/19/facebook-is-adding-new-features-including-dating/At this year's F8 Developer's conference, Facebook announced a raft of changes and updates it will be rolling out later this year. Some are fun, others practical, but they're all interesting. ...]]>At this year's F8 Developer's conference, Facebook announced a raft of changes and updates it will be rolling out later this year. Some are fun, others practical, but they're all interesting. Here are the highlights:

Get Ready for "FaceDate"

This announcement is interesting. Not so much because the idea of using Facebook to meet someone is new, but because of what the announcement did to the stock prices of existing companies.

The new feature will look and feel a bit like Tinder, with a few important caveats:

Your FaceDate profile will be separate from your Facebook profile

The app will not match you with your existing Facebook friends

Your existing friends will not see, or even know about your FaceDate profile (unless you tell them, of course)

Facebook fanatics will no doubt love this feature, but the news caused the stock prices of two online dating companies to fall sharply. These included Match Group (parent company of Match.com) tumbling 22 percent, and IAC (parent company of both Tinder and Match Group) falling 16 percent.

Third Party App Review Starting Up Again

In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the company suspended its third-party app review. That is re-opening starting Tuesday, so by the time you read these words, app review should once again be in full swing. The major change here is that the company will now require business verification for apps that need access to specialized API's or extended login permissions. Apps asking for basic profile information only will not be subject to this new requirement.

Real Time Language Translations In Messenger

A long-anticipated feature addition, the company is taking a cautious approach here. When the feature is initially rolled out, it will only translate English-Spanish conversations, with additional languages added incrementally. In addition to the translation feature, the messenger interface will also get some tweaks and improvements.

"Clear History" Feature Being Added

This one is aimed specifically at the lingering privacy concerns Facebook's CEO was recently grilled about when he appeared before Congress. In a bid to increase user privacy, Facebook will now allow its users to see the apps and websites that send Facebook information when in use, and allow users to turn off Facebook's ability to store that data. It's a good first step, but it remains to be seen how helpful it will be in terms of increasing user privacy. There's no good way to know that until we get the opportunity to see the new feature in action.

All in all though, a productive conference, with a number of interesting changes ahead.

]]>https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/19/facebook-is-adding-new-features-including-dating/feed/0Healthcare Sector Facing Rise In Ransomware Attackshttps://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/18/healthcare-sector-facing-rise-in-ransomware-attacks/
https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/18/healthcare-sector-facing-rise-in-ransomware-attacks/#respondFri, 18 May 2018 15:00:00 +0000https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/18/healthcare-sector-facing-rise-in-ransomware-attacks/The Department of Health and Human services has issued a warning to healthcare providers to be on high alert for the SamSam strain of ransomware, which has been used to attack ...]]>The Department of Health and Human services has issued a warning to healthcare providers to be on high alert for the SamSam strain of ransomware, which has been used to attack eight different health care entities so far this year.

SamSam made its first appearance in 2016 and is seeing increasingly widespread use so far this year. Unfortunately, the healthcare industry is considered by most to be a soft target. On the Dark Web, healthcare data has become more highly sought after than credit card data, which is only going to put more healthcare entities at risk.

The most tragic component of this is that when a hospital's network goes down, they stand to lose more than just money and control over patient data. Lives are also at risk. Although none of the attacks to this point have resulted in patient deaths, it's statistically inevitable. As these attacks continue to increase in frequency, scope and scale, sooner or later, someone will die because of them.

According to security experts, the root of the problem lies in the fact that guarding against such attacks is seen as fundamentally an IT issue. The truth is that it is an organization-wide issue, and should be treated as such, because attacks like these pose an existential threat. Treating the issue as something for a single department to be responsible for inevitably leads to a lack of funding and an inadequate incident response plan. This leaves most organizations completely unprepared to deal with an attack and its aftermath.

Even more worrisome is the fact that an increasing number of ransomware attacks simply destroy the data. Sure, the ransom note still gets displayed, but the hackers simply have no intentions of unlocking the files, and they build their software accordingly. Most recently, hackers have taken to corrupting encrypted data files, which can cause lingering problems for months or even years after they're unlocked.

This problem is only going to get worse until we all start taking data security more seriously.

]]>https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/18/healthcare-sector-facing-rise-in-ransomware-attacks/feed/0All Twitter Passwords Exposed, Change Your Password Nowhttps://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/17/all-twitter-passwords-exposed-change-your-password-now/
https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/17/all-twitter-passwords-exposed-change-your-password-now/#respondThu, 17 May 2018 15:00:00 +0000https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/17/all-twitter-passwords-exposed-change-your-password-now/Twitter shot itself in the foot recently but is working hard to get out in front of the problem. According to a recent blog post, the company experienced an issue with ...]]>Twitter shot itself in the foot recently but is working hard to get out in front of the problem. According to a recent blog post, the company experienced an issue with its hashing routine - a process which masks user passwords, making them virtually impossible to crack.

Because of the issue, user passwords were stored as plain text on an internal log file. The company found the bug on its own, conducted an investigation and found no evidence that anyone discovered the log file and appropriated it. Although they gave no indication as to how many user passwords the log file contained, they nonetheless urged all of their 330+ million users to change their passwords immediately as a safety precaution.

This could have been far worse for the company, had the log been discovered by a diligent security researcher, or worse still, by a hacker. Even so, it's a fairly damaging bit of news that's sure to cause at least some lost trust with its growing user base.

If you use Twitter, you should definitely take the company's recommendation to heart and change your password immediately. As ever, when you do, the best thing you can do to help yourself is to be sure you're not using the same password on Twitter as you use on other websites you frequent. That way, even if your password is compromised, the damage will be limited to your Twitter account only.

An even better solution would be to use a password safe, which securely stores the passwords of the various sites you frequent. Although even this step doesn't provide bullet-proof protection, as password safes are by no means immune to hacking.

Diligence and vigilance are once again the keys. Keep your passwords secure and change them often.

]]>https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/17/all-twitter-passwords-exposed-change-your-password-now/feed/0Windows 10 Gets iTunes App For Apple Usershttps://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/16/windows-10-gets-itunes-app-for-apple-users/
https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/16/windows-10-gets-itunes-app-for-apple-users/#respondWed, 16 May 2018 15:00:00 +0000https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/16/windows-10-gets-itunes-app-for-apple-users/Apple promised that its iTunes app would be available on the Microsoft Store by the end of 2017. The announcement was greeted with enthusiasm, but unfortunately, the company didn't meet their ...]]>Apple promised that its iTunes app would be available on the Microsoft Store by the end of 2017. The announcement was greeted with enthusiasm, but unfortunately, the company didn't meet their own deadline. They cited the need for more time to build a more robust user experience for Windows users.

The wait is finally over, and its big news, because some Windows 10 machines can only download apps, and prior to this, iTunes was offered as a standalone download only.

The app is fairly sizeable, weighing in at 476.7MB, and is compatible with both x86 and x64 PCs.

A recent Microsoft blog post had this to say about the announcement:

"Now you can download iTunes from Microsoft Store and easily play your favorite music, movies and more - right from your Windows 10 PC. iTunes is also home to Apple Music, where you can listen ad-free to over 45 million songs and download your favorites to enjoy without using WiFi. iTunes is free to download, and you can try Apple Music free for three months. There's no commitment, and you can cancel anytime."

One thing to be aware of is that if you already have an older version of iTunes installed on your machine and you download this app, it will automatically replace your older version. It is recommended, therefore, that you back up your data before downloading the latest. While it does offer a better user experience, it's not worth the loss of your existing library of files.

Kudos to both Apple and Microsoft here. Apple for bringing an excellent free app to the Microsoft Store, and Microsoft for continuing to play nice with their longtime rival, and allowing their massive user base the pleasure of enjoying a portion of Apple's wonderfully robust ecosystem.

]]>https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/16/windows-10-gets-itunes-app-for-apple-users/feed/0T-Mobile And Sprint To Merge Companieshttps://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/15/t-mobile-and-sprint-to-merge-companies/
https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/15/t-mobile-and-sprint-to-merge-companies/#respondTue, 15 May 2018 15:00:00 +0000https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/15/t-mobile-and-sprint-to-merge-companies/The on-again, off-again talks about a merger between T-Mobile and Sprint is definitely back on, with T-Mobile planning to buy Sprint for a staggering $26 billion. The deal has been in ...]]>The on-again, off-again talks about a merger between T-Mobile and Sprint is definitely back on, with T-Mobile planning to buy Sprint for a staggering $26 billion.

The deal has been in the works since before Trump was elected President. It died quietly when it became clear that the Obama administration would not allow the deal to go forward, due to concerns that it would leave the US with only three telecom providers, which could harm consumers.

The Trump administration has made it clear that they applaud the move. However, Trump's Justice Department may be a significant hurdle to clear. Nonetheless, as things stand now, the deal is steaming ahead and the combined company would have a whopping 127+ million customers, putting it not far behind AT&T's 141.6 million and Verizon Wireless' 150.5 million customers. T-Mobile's CEO John Legere would lead the new, larger company.

John had this to say about the planned merger:

"This combination will create a fierce competitor with the network scale to deliver more for consumers and businesses in the form of lower prices, more innovation, and second-to-none network experience - and do it all so much faster than either company could on its own."

The underlying argument in favor of the merger is that the US is falling behind in terms of network speed. If there is to be any hope of arriving first at a nationwide 5G network, we need bigger, stronger and more robust competitors.

As history shows us clearly though, the regulators of the previous administration have valid concerns about the monopolization of the industry. Any time there are fewer competitors on the board, regardless of the industry, consumers invariably get hit with higher prices. There's no reason to believe this merger will lead to a different outcome.

]]>https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/15/t-mobile-and-sprint-to-merge-companies/feed/0Some VW and Audi Cars May Be Hacked Through WiFihttps://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/14/some-vw-and-audi-cars-may-be-hacked-through-wifi/
https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/14/some-vw-and-audi-cars-may-be-hacked-through-wifi/#respondMon, 14 May 2018 15:00:00 +0000https://www.ndstech.com/2018/05/14/some-vw-and-audi-cars-may-be-hacked-through-wifi/Thanks to researchers Daan Keuper and Thijs Alkemade (who work at the Dutch cyber-security firm Computest), newly produced Golf GTE and Audi A3 vehicles are a little bit safer, and a ...]]>Thanks to researchers Daan Keuper and Thijs Alkemade (who work at the Dutch cyber-security firm Computest), newly produced Golf GTE and Audi A3 vehicles are a little bit safer, and a lot less vulnerable to remote hacks.

The duo found that by taking advantage of these vehicles' WiFi connection, they could access the cars' IVI, (in-vehicle infotainment system) and from there, gain access to other systems as well.

The researchers had this to say about their work:

"Under certain conditions, attackers could listen in to conversations the driver is conducting via a car kit, turn the microphone on and off, as well as gaining access to the complete address book and conversation history. Furthermore, due to the vulnerability, there is the possibility of discovering through the navigation system precisely where the driver has been, and to follow the car live wherever it is at any given time."

It gets worse though. Once the researchers had gained access to these systems, they found they could also access the car's braking and acceleration systems. They stopped short of performing exploits on these for fear of violating Volkswagen's intellectual property rights. A hacker, however, would not hesitate to do so.

Worse still, the company apparently had no idea there was a problem. In fact, when the researchers presented their findings, they discovered that the company had deployed the IVI system completely untested.

Since bringing the issue to the company's attention, they have addressed the issue. However, the fix only applies to newly manufactured vehicles. If you purchased either of the models listed above prior to June 2016, your vehicle has not received the fix, and will not get fixed unless you take it back to the dealership. There's no way for the company to remotely install it. That means there are untold thousands of cars on the road right now that are vulnerable.